Reynolds hopes for 'redemption' in race for Jackson seat

Former congressman and convicted child sex offender wants to 'finish the work' he started in 1990s

November 29, 2012|By Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune reporter

Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds on Wednesday announces his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr. (Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune)

A pair of campaign signs taped to the walls of a Loop hotel meeting room offered a shorthand explanation for the congressional campaign of convicted child sex offender and federal fraud felon Mel Reynolds.

One sign urged voters to "re-elect" the former U.S. representative "so he can finish the work" that was interrupted when he was convicted of crimes that included having sex with an underage campaign volunteer. Another sign featured a bold red background and white letters that said simply: "Redemption."

"If it was a joke, you guys wouldn't be here. If it was a joke, we wouldn't be getting all the calls we're getting," Reynolds, 60, told reporters Wednesday as he announced his Democratic bid to replace former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who resigned last week amid his own scandal.

"I'm not perfect and if you're perfect, I'm not appealing to you. I'm appealing to people who want to take a fair look at all of my history, all of my work, all of my education, what I've done since those times, what I've done before those times. That's all I'm asking," Reynolds said.

Reynolds' entry into the 2nd Congressional District race was one more indication that the contest to succeed Jackson is headed toward the free-for-all that some Democratic leaders had feared.

Reynolds held the seat from 1993 until October 1995, when a Cook County jury convicted him of several sex-related charges, including criminal sexual assault and solicitation of child pornography. While serving 21/2 years in state prison, Reynolds also was convicted on federal financial and campaign fraud charges.

In 2001, shortly before leaving the White House, President Bill Clinton commuted Reynolds' sentence with two years remaining to be served.

Under state law, Reynolds, who is now renting in Dolton, no longer has to register as a sex offender. In 2005, while a registered sex offender, Chicago police ordered him out of his South Side home because of its proximity to a school.

There is no prohibition against a felon seeking federal elected office under the standards set by the U.S. Constitution. In Illinois, Reynolds will be able to vote for himself despite his status as a felon.

Reynolds acknowledged he had made "mistakes" but said his past crimes "shouldn't be a life sentence." Still, he stopped short of acknowledging guilt for any of his crimes.

Taking an accusatory tone toward skeptics, Reynolds noted that former state Rep. Derrick Smith, indicted on federal bribery charges and kicked out of the Illinois House, overwhelmingly won back his West Side seat Nov. 6.

Reynolds sought to focus voter attention on his experience in Congress, where he served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Yet his announcement evoked the sorry if not sometimes tawdry history of the congressional representation voters in the South Side and south suburban district have had from their last three representatives.

On his third try, Reynolds defeated Gus Savage, a controversial and outspoken congressman who was condemned by the House Ethics Committee amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving a Peace Corps volunteer while he was on an official congressional visit to Zaire.

A year after entering Congress, Reynolds was indicted on sex-related charges, including having sex with a 16-year-old girl. During trial, it emerged that the girl informed Reynolds that he also could have sex with a 15-year-old Catholic schoolgirl. Reynolds replied, "Did I win the Lotto?"

Reynolds resigned and Jackson Jr. won a special election to succeed him. After 17 years in the House, Jackson stepped down last week amid an ongoing probe into alleged misuse of campaign funds and a diagnosis of bipolar depression.

It's not the first time Reynolds has sought to regain the seat since getting out of prison.

After receiving help from Jackson's father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, to win Clinton's commutation and then find work, Reynolds still ran against Jackson Jr. in the 2004 Democratic primary. Reynolds contended that the younger Jackson took advantage of his criminal problems a decade earlier, but he only got 6 percent of the vote.

Reynolds becomes the second former member of Congress to announce a run for Jackson's former seat. Former one-term Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, who was soundly defeated by Jackson in the March Democratic primary, has said she will make another bid.

Napoleon Harris, a former Northwestern and NFL football player who was elected to his first public office three weeks ago when he won a state Senate seat, also has indicated he will run for the Democratic congressional nomination.

Harris, Halvorson and Reynolds are among a list of about a dozen potential candidates who are considering seeking the office. While Reynolds pledged to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, he's banking on his name recognition in what will be a short campaign.